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The UFC has announced a new partnership with AirAsia. The sponsorship agreement is for multiple territories, leaving open the possibility for other airline partnerships in different parts of the world. AirAsia will do their first activation on November 25th when the UFC has their first event on mainland China.

AirAsia was founded in 1996 and is a low-cost carrier based in Malaysia.

UFC Vice President of Asia-Pacific Kevin Chang said in the press release:

“This deal is an indication of how much UFC and the sport of mixed martial arts have grown in Asia and around the world… AirAsia is an innovative and fast-growing brand, we thank them for the support and we’re looking forward to creating engaging branded content for fight fans and AirAsia customers to enjoy.”

The UFC will start a new, multi-year sponsorship deal with Mexican import brand Modelo Especial as the new official beer of the UFC. Modelo will replace Bud Light who was the first major sponsorship agreement for the UFC nine years ago.

UFC COO Lawrence Epstein said this about the partnership with Bud Light:

“When Bud signed on to be our sponsor, it sent a significant message that UFC was a real player in the sports landscape… It gave us a tremendous amount of credibility with other sponsors. And not just sponsors. Television networks and venues and, frankly, anybody involved in the business of sports entertainment around the world.”

The logo that you see at the middle of the ring when Mayweather and McGregor walk to the center for round 1 of their mega-fight will cost $10 million. According to Dan Rafael at ESPN, the ownership company of the UFC, WME-IMG, sent out proposals for the title sponsorship to possible corporate sponsors. The asking price for the Mayweather-McGregor title sponsorship is nearly double that of the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight, which was sold to Tecate for $5.6 million.

The sponsoring company would get its logo at the center of the ring at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena, its branding on ring girls, on two of the ropes and in the two nonfighter corners of the ring. The deal also includes sponsorship of the first minute of every round on the broadcast and $500,000 in tickets.

Relative to other ad deals, Goodyear will pay the Cavaliers $7 million to $10 million in each of the next three seasons to have its 2½-inch-by-2½-inch logo patch on the team’s jerseys.

It is important to note that the title sponsorships are only for the neutral corners. Mayweather and McGregor can each sell their corner for $2.5 million. A fighter’s sponsor would get $250,000 in tickets as well as sponsorship on the broadcast corner cam.